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The baseball bat swung with both hands and struck precisely at the center of the golem’s chest.

However, it only broke the armor covering the core, lacking the power to inflict significant damage directly to the core.

The golem, appearing as a mid-boss, had a level of 120.

In contrast, Kang Jin-hyuk’s level was currently only 55.

Even with the enchanted effect of the baseball bat boosting his stats, it was insufficient to bridge the gap of more than double the level difference.

If it were a regular monster, it might have been manageable, but this was no ordinary foe; it was a mid-boss.

With stats superior to a regular monster, it was not something to be taken lightly.

“Damn it.”

The golem quickly regained its balance after stumbling and raised its sword high.

What that sword aimed for, lifted above its head, was painfully obvious.

Kang Jin-hyuk tried to swiftly back away to avoid the sword that aimed to cut him in half.

But before he could do that, Lucia’s voice rang out first.

“Don’t panic and swing again!”

“What?”

She was asking him not to back away when a giant sword was falling right above him, a demand that felt wildly unreasonable.

Could he really trust the words of someone he had only met for a day and risk his life for it?

Kang Jin-hyuk decided to gamble on her words.

Of course, it wasn’t a reckless gamble.

With the armor he had received from the dwarf, he believed that even if he were hit, it wouldn’t be a fatal injury.

As long as he was alive, he could heal himself with the potions he had brought along.

“Forget it!”

Kang Jin-hyuk gritted his teeth and leaped forward.

His posture appeared as if he was getting closer to the descending sword, which looked like an act of suicide.

Had it not been for the arrow that flew from behind to knock the golem’s sword aside, he would have been cut in half.

Kang Jin-hyuk steadied his racing heart and hurriedly swung the baseball bat.

“Die!”

Wham!

The moment the bat collided with the core, a satisfying cracking sound echoed.

The core shattered into pieces, and with it, the previously grand stature of the golem came toppling down.

Watching the scene unfold, Kang Jin-hyuk collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

“Hah… I thought I was going to die.”

Even with trust in his armor, charging directly at that massive sword required courage that was far from ordinary.

Perhaps he had overexerted himself, as his hands trembled once the tension eased.

Even as he recognized Lucia approaching, he found it difficult to control his own body.

“If you were that scared, you could have just backed out.”

Lucia had thought Kang Jin-hyuk was used to fighting.

But seeing him like this made her realize that was a mistaken assumption.

“It wouldn’t have been a big deal if you had stepped back.”

“Yeah…”

Thinking about it, it was certainly a gamble not worth taking.

Betting his life on something that didn’t carry substantial risk, that might have been foolish.

Nevertheless, there was a reason why Kang Jin-hyuk kept moving forward.

“I felt it would be easier to trust and move together.”

If he took a step back, Lucia would have adjusted her plan accordingly.

She would think that whatever happened next, he didn’t trust her and preferred to hold back, and thus would act accordingly.

Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t want that to happen.

It wouldn’t be right for their mutual trust to falter over something as trivial as a mid-boss.

Lucia caught onto Kang Jin-hyuk’s feelings.

“I find you quite likable.”

Of course, this was a compliment as a comrade, not in a romantic sense.

Kang Jin-hyuk wasn’t foolish enough to miss that distinction.

“What was your name again?”

“Kang Jin-hyuk.”

“Cut the formalities and just speak casually.”

“Excuse me?”

Her suggestion to drop formalities was her way of acknowledging him.

However, Kang Jin-hyuk hesitated to accept her proposal outright.

“Well, that seems a bit…”

“Why? Am I intimidating?”

“No, it’s just that speaking casually to someone older feels wrong.”

While he was talking, a chill ran up his spine, causing his hair to stand on end.

Raising his head, he met Lucia’s expressionless face.

Instead of her blank facial expression, her eyes were filled with emotion.

Having assumed that as a half-elf, she must have lived longer than regular folk, he accidentally touched a sore spot.

“… What did you just say?”

Lucia’s question carried a clear message: to rephrase his last comment.

Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t want to imagine what might happen if he misunderstood his words at this juncture.

The happy memories of childhood flickered through his mind like a mirage.

* * *

He had mistakenly implied that she was old when he meant to say she had vast experience in hunting monsters instead.

After mixing up those words, he was sweating profusely, trying to regain control.

Fearing he might say something inappropriate again, he maintained his silence as they moved to the next level.

Lucia remained quiet as well, possibly still annoyed.

Maintaining a cold atmosphere and walking in silence was exceedingly uncomfortable.

Kang Jin-hyuk pondered over how to break the tension and took out an item from his inventory.

“Would you like to have this?”

Happening to feel hungry at that moment, Lucia’s gaze turned toward the chocolate bar he had withdrawn.

“You said, ‘would you like to have this?’”

Yet unexpectedly, her focus was more on Kang Jin-hyuk’s words than the chocolate bar.

Since she had learned the reason he had used polite speech was because of age, Lucia glared at him upon hearing the respectful tone.

“What, you want some?”

“…”

Lucia quietly watched him, snatching the chocolate bar from his hand.

In an instant, she tore off the packaging and took a bite.

Kang Jin-hyuk widened his eyes, not missing her surprised reaction.

“What is this made from?”

“I don’t know the specifics, but probably cocoa powder and almonds.”

“I’ve never heard of those before. Must be food only found in your place.”

Seeming to enjoy the chocolate bar, Lucia immediately reached out her hand once she finished.

“More?”

“Yeah. Hurry up.”

Because sweets like this were scarce in Lucia’s hometown, tasting chocolate was a novel shock for her.

Even if that were the case, consuming three boxes of chocolate bars all by herself before reaching the boss was quite irrational.

Did she usually eat that much?

If so, Kang Jin-hyuk couldn’t help but wonder where all those countless calories went.

Judging by her slim arms and legs, he could only assume one thing.

“Cough!”

Kang Jin-hyuk cleared his throat, shaking off the bothersome thought before it troubled him further.

In front of the boss’s room, Lucia looked at him strangely, pondering his peculiar behavior.

“What are you doing? Are you nervous about something?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

As Kang Jin-hyuk fumbled through his words, Lucia’s eyes still captured him with their keen intensity.

Did she notice? Believing he was caught, he was flustered, but then he noticed her outstretched hand.

“What?”

“Why do you ask? I’m just asking for more.”

“You mean the chocolate bar? What I just gave you was the last one.”

“What?!”

Kang Jin-hyuk nearly jumped at the volume of her outburst.

He had not anticipated such a fierce reaction from her.

“Stop messing with me and give it back!”

“I swear there isn’t any left! I brought all of it!”

“Then go get some more!”

Lucia’s expression resembled that of soldiers deprived of sweets for months.

The determination to trade out a chocolate pie for her faith was evident in her appearance.

After realizing the gravity of her craving, Lucia caught on to her behavior and exclaimed an “ah” apology.

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me.”

The sweet taste she had just experienced dulled her judgment.

Lucia didn’t understand why she was reacting this way.

She managed to quench her urges with supernatural will, but her body still craved the taste of sweetness.

Unbeknownst to her, this phenomenon stemmed from the elven blood flowing within her.

The reason elves who inhabited the forest could survive merely on fruits and water without proper food was their unique physiology.

An elf’s body could extract sufficient energy from small amounts of sugar, and this trait combined with human blood resulted in a curious reaction.

Namely, an insatiable “appetite.”

“This is driving me crazy.”

After experiencing the first massive sugar intake, Lucia felt the restrained appetite exploding all at once.

Resisting it felt like a withdrawal symptom for an addict.

“Hey, I can’t pretend any longer. Once this is all over, you need to bring me some sweets. In return, I’ll teach you something valuable.”

“Something valuable?”

“Do you know the term ‘Aura’?”

“Aura?”

“If you don’t know, just watch closely. I’ll show you what it is.”

Before Kang Jin-hyuk could say anything, Lucia pushed open the huge door and stepped inside.

As Kang Jin-hyuk quickly followed her, the dark room instantly brightened as if someone had turned on a light.

The spacious, deserted room, reminiscent of an open playground, held only a singular statue at its center.

The moment the golem sensed the aura from Kang Jin-hyuk and Lucia, it emitted a sound resembling weeping and began to move.

“Goooh.”

Decked out in armor with a sword and shield, this statue had a more sophisticated design than any golem they had previously encountered.

It resembled an ancient sculpture, more suited as decoration than as a combatant.

Before the golem could charge at them, Lucia pulled back her bowstring.

“I’ll show you just once, so watch closely.”

Kang Jin-hyuk witnessed the arrow at the tip of her bow gleam with a blue light.

As if gathering power, the light intensified until, at the moment Lucia released her bowstring, an explosive sound resonated.

Boom!

With a noise akin to an exploding bomb, the arrow shot forth, striking the golem’s shield.

It obliterated the shield and blew away the golem’s left arm.

The golem, seeming incredulous, stared in shock at its own broken form.

“Goooor.”

Kang Jin-hyuk also found it hard to believe what had just occurred.

Watching the statue crumble as easily as clay left him in awe.

It became clear to Kang Jin-hyuk that Lucia had been conserving her strength intentionally all along.

If she ended up defeating every monster in one go, he would have no opportunity to earn experience.

She had been trying to fight at a level that catered to him.

“What are you waiting for?”

Lucia smiled, pointing to the statue that was slowly falling apart.

Seeing her true potential right before his eyes sent a chill down Kang Jin-hyuk’s back.

“Time to finish it off, right?”

As Lucia had indicated, taking down that golem would yield him a significant amount of experience points.

Yet, he found himself wanting to ask her something before taking it down.

“How did you just do that?”

“How did I do that? I infused my arrow with Aura and shot it.”

“Aura…? Can it be used on something other than arrows?”

“Of course it can.”

Kang Jin-hyuk’s eyes sparkled at Lucia’s response.

If he managed to funnel such amplified power into his baseball bat, he would no longer have to worry about power deficiencies like he experienced against the mid-boss.

Noticing Kang Jin-hyuk’s interest in Aura, Lucia inquired,

“What do you think? Want to learn?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Kang Jin-hyuk bobbed his head up and down.

There was no way he would refuse a skill that could transform a normal arrow into something resembling a missile.